Coming Of Age
by Kasienda
Summary: Neo Queen Serenity is mortally wounded after an unexpected attack. In order to save her, the senshi send Small Lady into the past so she is able to grow up to become her mother's savior. Without warning or preparation, Usagi and Mamoru are thrust into the roles of parents, never knowing the little girl they are raising is actually their own. Loosely follows Black Moon Arc.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

It had seemed like an ordinary day. The sun had risen into a brilliant cloudless blue sky, the white-eyed birds flittered back and forth between the tree branches outside her window, and her senshi have given her a list five kilometers long of all the things she had to accomplish this week.

But then the world broke.

She never heard the bomb go off. One second everything was fine - she was giggling at some silly to do item her husband had somehow squeezed onto her list, and then she was on the floor amidst broken glass and fragmented debris, every cell in her body screaming in unimaginable agony.

"Small Lady!" she cried, only caring about the fate of the tiny child. She didn't think of her city or the world, or even her husband. She thought of her little girl, alone and lost in this sudden maelstrom – not understanding any of it.

Short shouted orders and pounding boots reverberated through the marble floor and her skull. Screams of both agony and grief drifted through the shattered window, and sirens echoed past moments later.

"Serenity! Are you okay?" one of her senshi no doubt, demanded in her ear having fallen immediately to her side. But Serenity couldn't bring anything into focus to identify her rescuer.

"Small Lady?" the queen begged, unable to consider anything else.

"She's okay. She was outside the palace when the blast struck."

Serenity thanked whatever gods could hear her for that small blessing.

"Endymion?" she asked.

"We don't know. We have yet to find him."

The queen bit back a cry at the uncertainty of that pronouncement. The sound of rapid tapping into a handheld computer revealed the senshi at her side.

"What happened Mercury?" the queen asked into the silence between them.

"I don't have time to explain. You have sustained heavy injuries. If you were truly still human, you would already be dead. I need to put you into stasis or you will not survive. We're going to do it right here on the floor."

"How long?"

"The estimates can be unreliable," the senshi in blue said evasively.

"Mercury, so help me _Selene_ – you will tell me _right now_ ," she said tightly trying to be sensible and remain unmoving.

"Approximately seventeen hundred years," was the clipped response.

All desire to be sensible fled her form. She immediately tried to bolt upwards in objection, the resulting lancing pain ignored. But soiled-white gloves held her on her down, and Serenity was appalled at her lack of strength.

"I _need_ you to calm down! It's going to take another five minutes to set this process up, but every time you move you're adding ten years onto your healing."

"What's ten years in the face of two millennia?" she screamed. She had spent time in stasis before, but never for more than a matter of months – once it had taken a year. Endymion had complained about it for a century afterward. If it was going to take almost two millennia her injuries were grave indeed.

"It won't be that long. I promise," Mercury whispered.

"How?"

White gloved fingers danced across the tablet for a second.

"I just need a power graft from the silver crystal to accelerate the process."

"You can't pull that off without me," the queen objected.

"I think I can now."

"How?" the golden-haired woman demanded. Each time any of the others were seriously wounded she had been able to use Mercury's process and the silver crystal to heal them almost immediately. She was the only one that had to take the long way around because she was the only one who could use the crystal.

"Mama?" the tiny high pitched voice floated from the doorway, soft, uncertain and terrified.

Her blue eyes took in the site of her daughter filthy, but uninjured and smiled in relief. She barely noticed the two senshi that flanked the child on either side.

"Small Lady," the queen greeted. "Come here child."

The small form darted forward into her arms. "I love you Small Lady. I'm so relieved to see that you are safe. I have to go to sleep for awhile. Will you be good for the senshi while I'm resting?"

The pink haired child nodded slowly.

"That's a good girl."

"Small Lady!" Mercury greeted brightly, as she urged the child back a pace. "Do you want to help me heal your mama?"

The queen's eyes then darted back to Mercury, wide with realization.

" _No_! You _will not_ use her! She is just a _child_!"

"You are correct. She will need to come of age to use the crystal anyway."

This did nothing to calm the raging queen who once again tried to sit up. Mercury pushed her down. "Just thirty seconds left. Try to stay calm."

The queen ignored the directive. "You swore to me you couldn't do anything - that she would forever remain a child!" she shrieked.

"… As long as she lives under the protection of the Crystal Millennium you have created here, she will never age."

Serenity thrashed in place, three pairs of arms forcing her down. "No, please… don't send her away. She will have no one…"

"She will have you," Mercury's words were soft, and Serenity couldn't fight anymore as she felt the crystal growing around her form. All she could think was that her daughter was going to grow up.

And it would be without her.

...

A/N:  
Cover Art Credit: "Helios?" by Axsens on DeviantArt  
I would give you a direct link, but ffnet won't let me...


	2. An Uninvited Guest

**Chapter 1: An Uninvited Guest**

A raven-black haired college student plodded into the elevator in the lobby of his Azabu apartment building, anticipating the five minutes into the future where he could slip off his shoes and collapse onto his bed, or perhaps he'd settle for the couch. It was far closer. Perhaps he shouldn't have stayed up so late the night before talking to Usagi.

Then he grinned. Who was he kidding – he didn't regret that at all. The end of term exams had been especially brutal this year. He had been spending so much time studying, and completing projects he hadn't been able to speak to Usagi in days and it had been over a week since he had seen her in person! Staying up listening to her ramble about the little parts of her week may not have been "important" in a practical way, and may have even been a tad irresponsible in light of the fact that he had an exam early the next morning, but it was important to him remaining sane.

The elevator dinged happily and he reached for his keys as the doors slid open. He flipped from one key on the ring to the next, looking for the one that would allow access to a much needed respite. He stumbled unexpectedly. He recovered his balance in two steps, and stared at the offending little pink suitcase that had found its way into his usually completely cleared hallway.

The suitcase was not alone. A little girl with bubble gum pink hair sat on the floor, her short arms wrapped around a large spherical stuffed animal that reminded him of Luna more than anything else, breathing evenly in sleep. He reached forward to wake her, to ask where her parents were, but he froze upon seeing a thick envelope sticking out from under the Luna look alike.

An envelope with his name on it written in small precise kanji.

He slipped the envelope out, and a clear crystal the length of his palm tumbled to the ground. He bent to pick it up. At his touch, the crystal flashed and his surroundings dissolved.

He whirled around, finding himself in a large empty chamber. The walls were made of glass, or perhaps some kind of crystal that seemed to shimmer slightly in the dim lighting. The child sleeping at his doorstep with the same inanimate companion remained at his feet.

An unfamiliar woman with long cascading hair the color of evergreen trees, and garnets for eyes stood before him, a tall staff in her right hand. She bowed to him deeply.

"Where are we?" he demanded.

"Chiba Mamoru, I wish we could meet under better circumstances and actually in person. My name is Sailor Pluto and I am contacting you from the future with a message of vital importance."

"Sailor Pluto?" he repeated, but she continued as if she couldn't hear him.

"This little girl," she gestured to the sleeping child, "is hunted throughout time from forces we have been unable to completely protect her from. We need to place her into hiding until such time that she comes of age and is able to take her rightful place amongst the senshi."

"What forces? Is there a new enemy?"

"You and the other senshi of your time must protect her _at all costs_. Should she not survive, _all_ is lost. This is not hyperbole. I am placing all of this in your hands. I cannot explain more – please forgive my lack of clarity. I have a timeline to protect and I cannot reveal too much of the future to you."

"The future? _"_ He realized when she continued to ignore his questions, showing no sign that she heard them at all – that they were not directly speaking. That this was a recording of some kind, and he allowed the tension in his shoulders to release as he listened carefully.

"I apologize for placing the responsibility of parenthood on you at this time without your permission or knowledge, but you are the only one of age in your time that will have legal standing to be her guardian."

The woman smiled then, "And I would be more than willing to hazard that you would rather become her caretaker than see her go through the system anyway. I will try to contact you again when I can, but if you don't hear from me for a long while know that it is because contacting you is dangerous. I cannot lead them to her. Farewell Chiba Mamoru. Please take care of this child as if she were your own."

She bowed again, and their crystalline environs vanished. He was once again back in his hallway. The crystal burned hot in his hand, and he immediately released it. It hit the ground and shattered into a million glittering pieces as fine as dust.

The mysterious little girl did not stir. Not knowing what else to do, he unlocked the door, picked her up and carried her inside. He brought her to his bedroom and settled her into one side of his queen-sized bed. He brought the royal blue comforter up to her chin, made sure her inanimate friend was close by, before slipping back out to his living room.

He tore open the envelope with his name on it, hoping that it would reveal more than Pluto's cryptic message. But there was no letter or explanation of any kind. Only official documents - a birth certificate, adoption papers, reports of progress at an orphanage, her vaccination and medical history. Essentially it contained everything he would need to establish himself as her legal guardian until she came of age.

He needed to sit down.

Fifteen minutes ago, he had been stressed about finals. He only had one exam left, two days away. And he laughed at how insignificant it suddenly felt. He was now responsible for another person – a child who was young and impressionable. A child who had been torn from her world.

His chest felt heavy at how well he understood that pain.

He went through the documents again, this time more slowly. Her name was Usagi. And he couldn't help the smile that bloomed across his face at the familiar name. She was about to turn five in just over three month's time at the end of June, also sharing a birthday with his girlfriend.

Her health records were bland and uninteresting, but there was a report from the orphanage that caused him to ache in sympathy. The description said she had witnessed a violent home invasion and was likely suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, that thunder or loud gunshots might trigger a fit or episode. He had no doubt that the report was fiction, but he also suspected it was based in truth, included to explain her behavior.

Then he flipped to the last page – the adoption forms. The paperwork that dubbed him, Chiba Mamoru, her legal guardian and changed her legal name to Chiba Usagi. He couldn't breathe. It never occurred to him for a second that he could say no to this responsibility that had been thrust upon him. But the reality of the single document overwhelmed him completely. He knew almost nothing about children, and even less about being a care taker or a guardian. Kami-sama! He didn't even have memories of a parent to emulate!

His mind buzzed in a thousand different directions. Did he need a bigger place? How would he complete his education with her needing to not just be cared for, but protected as well? Did he need to get her enrolled in school? Was she old enough? How did he even go about doing that? Would she be safe at school? What would he tell his friends and professors? How could he explain this seeming impulsive decision to _anyone_? How would Usako react?

He picked up the black communicator Luna had given him almost a year prior. He could at least tell the full story to the senshi – to Usako.

A piercing shriek jolted him to his feet and he dashed into the bedroom.

Her arms and legs thrashed and she screamed louder than he had ever thought it possible to scream, even with a certain blond girlfriend.

"Hey, hey," he soothed, scooping her up into his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "You're okay. You're safe."

"I want Mama! Papa!" she demanded, her small arms jutting painfully into his shoulders as she pushed him away.

He released her immediately and she scuttled backwards into the headboard, continuing to scream for her parents.

"They're aren't here, but it's okay. You're safe," he tried to reason and assure her over and over, but his words felt inadequate even to his own ears.

"Mama! Where's Mama?"

"I don't know," he told her. "I wish I knew."

She reached up then, as if wanting to be picked up. He moved forward to oblige and she immediately shot backwards again at his sudden movement, this time tumbling out of the bed completely, her cries never ceasing. She quickly righted herself, startled ruby red eyes landed on him. He froze again, holding his hands up to show he was harmless, completely clueless as to what to do. She clearly wanted comfort, but just as clearly, she did not trust him.

Just when he thought she was going to fall into his arms, she darted backwards and took up residence in the corner of his closet, her cries and sobs muffled now through the barrier.

He took a seat on the floor outside the sliding closet door, and urged the door open just a crack. Her arms clutched around her knees as she rocked herself. Her chest heaving violently for breath inbetween choking sobs.

"Usagi-chan," he whispered. "Please don't cry. I can't bear to see you cry."

His pleadings only succeeded in her slamming the door shut on his fingers, as her violent wracking sobs jumped an octave in pitch.

He sucked on his now throbbing fingers, desperately grasping for another course of action. He was smart enough not to attempt to open the door again.

He mostly talked through the crack for hours until his voice became raw. He didn't say much – mostly repeating the same assurances that she was safe over and over, not knowing what else to say. And after that, in a true moment of desperation he tried singing to her, but that only seemed to renew her tears. He wished Usako was there – she would know what to do. He was tempted to call her on the communicator, but was unwilling to leave this distraught girl alone, even if he could do nothing for her.

Eventually, he just allowed his head to fall to the door frame, and went quiet, praying that she would exhaust herself soon. When her cries faded to hiccoughs he felt compelled to try again.

"Usagi-chan, please come out," he begged. "You don't have to be alone."

And she starting crying again, but only softly.

He sighed, promising himself that he wouldn't say anything else. He would allow her to make the first move. She had to be exhausted. He trusted that she would fall asleep eventually.

But he was wrong – it was him who eventually fell into exhaustion. He started awake when he heard the closet door slide open. At his sudden movement, the door slammed shut again. He cursed himself with a heavy sigh. The clock on his nightstand read a quarter after six in the morning.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he whispered. "It's safe to come out. I promise."

Minutes passed by in absolute silence. Just when he was starting to believe she would never crack, the door slid open again. She peered at him with wide blinking eyes, red and irritated with endless crying, rocking herself back and forth.

Kami-sama! He wanted to comfort her, but had no idea how. His patience was rewarded finally as she slowing crawled out and sat right next to him, as close as it was possible to be without touching him.

Without moving into her space at all he held his arms out toward her in invitation. She hesitated for a second, but then lurched forward into his arms. He enveloped her quickly, and rocked her back and forth. Her cries exploded in volume once again, but he couldn't help but feel victorious as she clung to his form. He rubbed her back and whispered soothing sounds into her blushing pink hair that had fallen into complete disarray.

Eventually her sobs softened and her head rested on his shoulder. She was so still he assumed she had fallen asleep. But when he tried to stand to move them both to the bed, she clung to his neck and started whimpering in protest.

"Okay, okay," he soothed, settling them both back on the floor. "I'm right here. Not going anywhere."

Eventually, she fell asleep in his arms. He was only a few minutes behind.

…

Mamoru woke up slowly. He would have preferred to stay asleep, but his leg had turned into pins and needles and he had a painful crick in his neck. He tried to shift the girl to his other side to restore circulation into his toes, but she immediately started awake.

He braced himself for more waterworks, but she just clung to his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Good morning, Usagi-chan," he greeted her. "Are you feeling better?"

She slowly brought her chin just barely up from his shoulder and peered at him suspiciously with deep ruby red eyes.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"That's not my name," she corrected him sullenly.

"Oh! I'm sorry," he hadn't realized that Pluto may have forged more than just the contextual details. "We haven't actually been introduced. My name is Mamoru, but you can call me Mamo-chan if you like," he offered with a smile.

Long silence as she blinked at him.

"You don't have to," he reassured in the silence.

"Mamo-chan," she repeated slowly.

"Yeah, that's right. And what is your name little one?"

"Small Lady," she said, her chest puffed out with importance.

"It suits you," he conceded with an amused smile, though it was interesting to him that the name was in English rather than Japanese.

"But Puu said I couldn't be called that anymore," she added sadly. He expected the tears to come, but she just sighed. "I guess Usagi is my new name?" she finally offered, the displeasure in her voice clear.

If circumstances had been different, he might have laughed at the rapid expressions darting across her face.

"Well, what if we combine the two?" he suggested instead. "Shall we say, Chibi-usa? Chibi for small and Usa instead of Usagi?"

"Chibi-usa," she said, tasting each syllable slowly as she had done with his own. "Chibiusa," she said faster, and the nodded firmly. "It's acceptable."

He laughed again. "I glad you approve. It is very nice to meet you Chibiusa."

"It is nice to meet you too Mamo-chan," she repeated automatically, completely without feeling, like she had been trained.

"You're going to be staying with me for awhile. Is that okay?"

"Puu says I have to, but I miss my mama."

"I miss mine too."

"Where is your Mama?"

"She died when I was six years old," he admitted. Since she had just lost everything at not quite five years old, he felt no reason to hedge on reality.

"I hope my Mama doesn't die," her voice had dropped to a whisper, and her chin quivered, threatening tears once again.

"I hope that too," he whispered back.

They sat together in silence for a long time, until she heaved a huge sigh.

"Mamo-chan?"

"Yes, Chibiusa?"

"I'm hungry."

He grinned. _That_ was something he could actually solve.

"Well then, let's get you some food."

He carried her into the kitchen, based on the fact that she was still clinging to his neck, he didn't think she was ready to be put down yet.

He supposed this is what they meant when they said all parents had to learn to do everything one handed.

Despite her request, Chibiusa hadn't eaten much – only a single small pancake. But one benefit to the meal had been that she had finally let him put her down for a minute as she ate.

Chibiusa jumped six inches out of her chair when the phone rang.

"It's okay," he told her. "It's just the phone ringing. I'm going to answer it okay?"

She clung to his leg, but nodded.

"Moshi moshi!" he announced into the receiver.

"Mamo-chan! Where have you been? Motoki-oniisan just told me you missed a study session this morning."

He glanced at the clock, which read 12:34 and winced.

"Yeah… if you see him before I do, would you apologize for me? Something… unexpected came up."

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…" how did he explain to his girlfriend that he became a guardian to a four-year-old child in the last twelve hours. "Usako, I need to call a senshi meeting."

"A senshi meeting? Mamo-chan! What is going on?"

"It'll be easier to explain in person. Can you come over?" he tried to keep his voice neutral, but he suspected she knew him too well to fall for it.

"Umm… okay. I can be there in a few hours."

"Can you come now?"

"Now?" she repeated.

"Yes."

"Mamo-chan, are you actually encouraging me to cut class?" she teased.

"This is really important," he said, ruffling Chibiusa's head that was pressed into his waist.

"I'll be right there," she said, her voice suddenly completely serious.

"I love you," he said, surprised at the desperation in his tone.

"I love you too," she shot back. "You sure you're okay?"

"I promise. See you soon."

He placed the phone back on its hook, relief already coursing through his form. He crouched down so he could look at her in the eyes.

"A very special person is coming over to meet you. And later today we're going to go meet some other friends of mine who are going to help me keep you safe."

She nodded.

"In the mean time, what do you like to do for fun?"

She reached for his hand, which he immediately gave, but she didn't say anything.

He floundered, trying to fill the silence, but he was at a loss for what to say and he certainly didn't know what to do. Thankfully, only a few minutes passed before a knock at the door saved him from the awkward silence.

He jumped towards the door, causing Chibiusa to squeak in protest as he pulled her with him. He opened the door and grinned giddily as his girlfriend. She had arrived so fast that he suspected she had transformed and ran the whole way across Tokyo's skyline. Normally, he would chastise her for that, but today he was just relieved to see her.

He pulled her into the apartment and into an embrace, squeezing her slender form with one arm, never letting go of Chibiusa's hand with the other.

"Mamo-chan! What is going on?" she asked muffled into his chest.

He searched for words, but found none. Just continued to hold her more to keep himself calm than for any other reason.

"Mamo-chan? There's a child in your apartment," her head peering around his arm.

He released the blond at that moment and moved back so that his guests could properly see one another.

"Hello there," Usagi greeted, bowing to the child, though breaking the formality with a wink. "My name is Usagi. What's yours?"

"Usako, this is Chibiusa," Mamoru said when Chibiusa remained silent.

"Chibi… usa," she repeated slowly and looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. He shrugged. She turned back to the girl attached to his waist with a beaming smile. "That is so cute! Why did my mom never call me that?! And where are you from Chibiusa-chan?"

He realized that Usagi knew that the little girl was nervous and did not really expect her to respond, but was also not speaking about her as if she wasn't there. Kami-sama, she was so good at this!

"She was dropped off by a Sailor Pluto," he explained. "Apparently, she's from the future, and she needs our protection."

Wide blue eyes blinked at him. "Eh… what?"

"I'm to be her legal guardian until she has come of age," he said with a calm that he did not feel.

Her eyes widened, and she swayed on her feet slightly. He stepped forward, his free hand reaching out to steady her.

"We will talk about it," he promised, squeezing her hand uncertain if he was trying to reassure her or hoping she would reassure him. Perhaps it was both.

She nodded, pasted on a blinding smile, and turned back to his charge, leaning forward bracing her hands on her knees. "That means you and I will get to spend loads of time together Chibiusa! What do you like to do for fun?"

The girl clung to him further, but Usagi was not discouraged.

"Do you like cartoons?"

The child scoffed, turning her head away into his leg. He smothered a chuckle at her indignation at the suggestion.

"Hmm… how about music?" the blond continued to list off on her fingers. "Eating cake?"

Chibiusa was scowling with displeasure now.

"No? You don't like _cake_? Talk about a tough crowd. How about…" Usagi tapped her fingers from both hands together as if digging for inspiration. "I know! Do you like to draw?"

Chibiusa flipped back around at that, her eyes wide and sparkling. But she still said nothing.

"Ah ha! Jackpot! Mamo-chan? Don't you have some sketchbooks lying around somewhere? Perhaps some pencils? I can bring some other art supplies by later if you would like. Would you like that Chibiusa?"

The girl actually nodded. Slowly and shyly to be sure, but she responded.

"How… how did you do that?" he spluttered.

"Do what Mamo-chan?" she asked, turning her open face to him with genuine confusion.

He just shook his head. "Nevermind."

"What else do you need?" she asked him.

He was taken aback by the question. He hadn't considered more than getting through the next few minutes, but of course Chibiusa would need some things if she were going to live here with him.

"Some clothes? Perhaps some toys?" she suggested. "Mama may have some old things of mine in storage. Goodness knows I could give up a few stuffed animals. But she'll definitely need her own toothbrush and I don't have that. Oooh! Does this mean we get to go shopping tomorrow after your final?"

He stared at her unmoving for several seconds, finally feeling like he might be able to pull this off.

"Mamo-chan?" she asked.

"Usako, you're amazing," he whispered, and held his free hand out again. "Nothing ever phases you."

She stepped forward into a sideways embrace, caressing the top of Chibiusa's head to include the girl in their hug. He noted that she leaned into the caress. It was small improvement from the mostly silent child, but he took it as a positive sign.

"You know better than anyone, that pretty much _everything_ sends me into panic," she contradicted.

He laughed.

"The meeting isn't until six. If you wanted to drive us, we could head over and start exploring my attic."

"That sounds like a great plan," he said, exhaling with relief. He wasn't sure how, but she always made him feel better no matter the circumstance.

…

A/N: So… I was giving Sailor Moon Crystal another chance. I was watching the episode where Endymion explains that his daughter is 900 years old and had stopped aging or maturing five years into that journey, and was slightly horrified. It needed to be fixed, and so this is what my mind came up with!

I mentioned it to the husband (he IS my biggest fan) and apparently he spent hours thinking about it at the gym and came back with more ideas. And then that fed more from me! And then he started building on it again! Just a lovely positive feedback loop!

Then I sent my outline to FloraOne and she made it even better! Then Irritablevowel started sending me more ideas from a one line description I sent her! And from that I was able to put together a whole chapter in just a matter of days! So you see, a lot of heads went into this, and we're just getting started! Thank you ladies! You're both so very appreciated!

This takes place in the same universe as Going It Alone about a year later, though you certainly don't need to read that one first to follow this one (though that one is FINISHED if you haven't read it yet!). It _loosely_ follows the Black Moon Arc with some inspiration from the 90s Anime and some from Cyrstal (obviously). It will _not_ include the break up arc, as I've already done that in a story called Nightmares.

This new project is looking equally as massive as Going It Alone. May take me another four years to finish it, but I'm really excited about it! Hope you'll join me on the adventure!

Reviews are love!


	3. First Impressions

A/N: Special shout outs to TinaCentury and IrritableVowel for teaching me the finer points of comma usage (and other fabulous betaing feedback to improve the quality of my characterizations and scenes!). Both are much appreciated!

 **Chapter 2: First Impressions**

Mamoru led Chibiusa by the hand in Usagi's wake, through the gate, and up the paved driveway. The young pink-haired girl still clung to his side, halfway hiding behind his legs. He squeezed her hand in reassurance as they stepped over the threshold into his girlfriend's childhood home. He loved the Tsukino household – bright with color and photos and loud with activity – a complete contrast to his own spartan apartment, and a perfect haven for his ever-joyful Usako.

Today though, his palms sweated in nervousness like he was meeting her parents for the first time all over again. Chibiusa didn't seem to mind, her iron grip never relenting.

"Mama? Are you home?" Usagi called into the empty and open foyer as they stepped over the threshold.

"Usagi? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Ikuko's voice drifted in from the kitchen. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. Mamo-chan just had a… family emergency and he needed my help."

"I thought he didn't have a family!" the older woman objected. Usagi cast apologetic eyes in his direction at the thoughtless remark. He waved it away as unnecessary with his free hand.

"Mama! We have guests! You're being horribly rude!"

"Oh! Please forgive me." She came into the foyer wearing a white apron over a pale yellow blouse that contrasted beautifully with her flowing deep blue hair. "It's always good to see you, Mamoru-kun."

"And you, Ikuko-mama," Mamoru greeted back with a smile.

"And who is this?" she asked, leaning down to the soon-to-be five-year-old girl, who peeked around Mamoru's waist at the attention.

"This is Chibiusa-chan! Mamoru's adopted daughter," Usagi introduced. They had agreed on the car ride over that there was little point in delaying the bombshell of information.

Deep blue eyes shot back to Mamoru in surprise, and then narrowed. He had expected it, but the coldness in her eyes still hurt like a blow to the chest. Ikuko had been an ally in his and Usagi's relationship over the past year, and honestly the closest thing he had ever experienced to having a mother himself. He didn't want any of it to change. But he couldn't truly explain the seemingly impulsive decision he had made, and she certainly would not be the only one to disapprove, even if she was the first.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Chibiusa-chan!" Ikuko greeted brightly, never going to hold her disdain of Mamoru over the child herself. He had always known where Usagi's loving and compassionate nature had come from. "I am Usagi's mother. You can call me Ikuko. How can I help you both?"

"Nice to meet you, Ikuko-san," Chibiusa said, using the same trained automatic response she had used with him that morning.

"We are sorry to bother you, Tsukino-san," Mamoru said stiffly. "Chibiusa was in a bit of an emergency situation and she needed to be taken immediately. I am embarrassed to say that I am woefully unprepared and without many of the essentials a young girl might need."

"I invited him here so that perhaps we could go through some of my old clothes and toys up in the attic," Usagi filled in quickly, her hands fidgeting behind her back the only sign of her nervousness.

The older woman considered them both seriously, the smile she had gifted to Chibiusa gone. "I don't think…"

"Mama, she's here," Usagi interrupted smoothly. "Mamo-chan was already granted custody. It's done. We will talk about it later." Not in front of Chibiusa, went unsaid, but Ikuko and Mamoru both understood.

He shot her a small but genuine smile, his eyes burning with an emotion he could not put into words at that moment - how grateful he was that she would rise to his defense and put Chibiusa's best interests at heart, how much he looked up to her in this situation, and how much he admired her strength, resilience, and compassion under pressure. And that she did it even when they had not had more than a second to have their own conversation about what this meant for them. Her love and support was truly unconditional. And he had known that, but situations like this made him _feel_ it.

"I'm sure we have a few things stowed away. Let me get the ladder down," Ikuko said stiffly, gesturing for them to follow her upstairs.

He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. She wasn't turning them away. He would take what small mercies life granted, and deal with the rest of it later.

* * *

Usagi followed Mamoru up into the musty room, dimly lit from two small circular windows on either side of the expansive low ceiling. She hadn't been up to the attic in ages, she realized. The place had always held the potential for magic as a child. The dust that hung in the air twinkled and spiraled in the air like sparkles, and walls of boxes stacked in haphazard little towers against the wall held the promise of untold treasures.

Chibiusa sneezed, and Usagi echoed the action two seconds later.

"Perhaps Tsukino-san has face masks we could wear?" Mamoru suggested.

Usagi noted the change in her mother's title from Mamoru's lips with sadness, but she didn't comment on it. "I'll go ask," she said instead. She only made it halfway down the ladder, her mother already there with the needed items.

"Thank you, Mama," she said brightly, then charged back up into the storage space, and doled out the new masks.

They started by opening up a few boxes in each area, to get a sense of what was where. It was clear that her mother had some organizational system, and Usagi's old things were mostly together. Once she knew where things were, Usagi had split them all up to work through their own boxes.

Chibiusa moved through a box of old stuffed animals and was told to pick out her favorites. So far, the child had only revealed that she was discriminating beyond belief, having found nothing to her liking.

Mamoru went through boxes of clothes. In contrast to his young charge, he took everything that was the correct size, as long as it didn't have holes. And Usagi herself was on a mission to find some old blank sketchbooks and colored pencils that she was certain her mother had moved up here once she lost interest in creating artwork after someone had teased her at school. So far, she had come up empty.

Which wouldn't have been that frustrating, except it was quiet. Too quiet. And Usagi just wasn't able to fill up the silence like usual, though not for lack of trying. She had told stories about various stuffed animals Chibiusa discovered and cooed over the cutest little dresses she had worn at five years of age. Mamoru gave her faint smiles from under his face mask, but Chibiusa remained completely stoic, or, if she did show emotion, it was merely to roll her eyes.

Usagi was at a complete loss about what to do or say. The seventeen-year-old fought back the tears that started to well in her eyes, and tried to swallow around the sudden lump in her throat. She wasn't ready for this. She knew this responsibility hadn't been assigned directly to her, but if Chibiusa was going to stay with Mamoru until she truly came of age, by Japanese law she would be with them for the next fifteen years! And even if coming of age only referred to her being able to access and use her senshi powers, she would become and remain a part of their lives, a part of Mamoru's life, for at least the next decade!

That meant she was going to be this girl's mother.

Kami-sama, she needed to cry! But this wasn't the time. She was determined to never give the young, hurting child reason to feel unwanted. While Mamoru hadn't said anything, the way he had clung to her when she arrived at his apartment, the fact that he was wearing the same shirt as yesterday and worse, it was wrinkled, the way his eyes kept darting to her as if to reassure himself she was still there, made it clear he needed her strength right now as well.

"That one is so cute!" she squealed, pointing to the summer dress he held in his hands. "Mama got that for me to wear to Shingo's first birthday. It was my favorite!"

Chibiusa glanced at her again, crossing her arms across her chest in her never-ending disapproval, her chin jutting out stubbornly as if to say she didn't like the dress simply because Usagi did. Usagi ignored her, and continued her search for art supplies – that was something she knew the girl would like. Chibiusa eventually went back to her own box, going through its contents mechanically. Usagi watched her from the corner of her eye.

She discarded everything until she lifted a Tuxedo Kamen plushy from the box's depths. Usagi smiled at the doll. She had bought it during her first year as a senshi. It must have been packed up during the time before Usagi had recovered her memories as Sailor Moon, because there's no way she would have let her mother take it from her room when she remembered being saved and aided by the masked vigilante.

Chibiusa stared at if for a long while, uninterested in anything else. It was the most reaction Usagi had seen from her about anything. The girl was a statue who could give Mamoru lessons in stoicism.

"Do you like him?" Usagi asked brightly. "He's always been one of my favorites."

Startled red eyes jumped to her, and she dropped the doll as if it had burned her.

Usagi frowned at the reaction. She knew Chibiusa had liked it, but it was like she wasn't willing to admit the fact to anyone else. The same way she had scoffed at eating cake. Usagi wondered what could have happened to make such a young child so distant. Her heart broke for the girl. Usagi glanced back to her boyfriend, suddenly wondering what he had been like in the days following his parents' death. Had he just been moving through life on autopilot, not seeing or feeling anything, completely resisting comfort like this young girl before her?

Usagi would have seized the young girl in a hug if she thought it would be well-received. Instead, she made her way to Mamoru's side and wrapped her arms around him from behind. He set down the shirt he had been examining, and immediately turned to face her, returning the embrace.

"I love you," she whispered into the crook of his neck.

"I love you too," he whispered back. "Are you okay?"

"I am. It's just much easier to imagine now."

"What is?"

"What it must have been like for you," she confided. "After your parents died."

His arms around her tightened. "Let's make it different for Chibiusa."

She nodded in agreement. She hoped she was up to the task.

When Chibiusa moved on to another box, Usagi untangled herself from her boyfriend and made a point of rescuing the Tuxedo Kamen plushy from Chibiusa's discards. Instead, she added it to Mamoru's "keep" pile. He smiled at her action. Perhaps, when the wound wasn't so raw and fresh, it would bring the precious child some comfort.

* * *

Chibiusa didn't want to go meet Mamo-chan's friends anymore. Her feet ached and her stomach grumbled with hunger. Ikuko-mama had offered snacks, but Chibiusa had only eaten one half of a sandwich. It had tasted funny – different from the food she ate at home. So, she was hungry, her feet hurt, and now, she had to climb a mountain of stairs to get where they were going.

She didn't complain. At least not out loud. Puu had told her to be strong - that she was to stay with Mamoru until it was safe to come home. But it was hard not to drag her feet as they trudged up yet another dozen stone steps to go to this shrine. And she could not suppress the mournful sighs that just fell from her mouth.

She clung to Mamoru's hand tightly; he was her only anchor in this alien world.

She followed in his footsteps silently, never letting go of his hand, trying to focus on taking the next step up to the shrine Usagi said they were going to, instead of remembering Puu rushing her from her home the night before.

She used her free hand to wipe away the sudden tears in her eyelashes. She would not cry. She had to be strong.

Usagi led them into the shrine to a low table that was already filled with empty tea cups and a plate of cookies. The room was otherwise empty, and Chibiusa fell to her knees at the table quickly, relieved there were no more stairs to climb.

A woman with luscious dark long hair came in holding a steaming teapot.

"Mamoru-kun, Usagi-chan, would you like some tea?" At the two eager nods, the woman began to pour the liquid into their respective cups. "And what about you, young one?" she greeted with a wink. "Would you like some tea?"

Chibiusa glanced at Mamoru for permission, and he nodded his encouragement, and she pushed her cup forward. Before she took a sip, another three girls filed in and filled the open spaces around her.

"Who is this, Usagi-chan? Your long-lost love child?" the new blond teased with a smirk.

She felt Mamoru tense through the hand she had never released, but she didn't care.

Usagi introduced her, and Chibiusa acknowledged each girl with a nod of her head as Usagi revealed each of their names. She ignored the amused smiles at her actions, bristling that they didn't take her seriously. Didn't they know she was the crown princess and heir?

Mamoru started speaking – explaining that Puu had left her on his doorstep with a message and documents. She let the conversation spiral around her and instead focused on her tea and the cookies. She wasn't going to lie - the cookies were good. She took two. And then tried to sneak another one with no one noticing. Usagi did though, and then moved the whole plate in front of her with a wink.

Chibiusa blushed, and kept her hands stubbornly at her side. Usagi was being so nice. But Chibiusa didn't want to give into that. She was going to be going home soon, and she didn't want to make friends here. She had Puu and the senshi at home. She didn't need any friends.

She glanced up and really took in the faces around her for the first time, and froze at how familiar it all felt.

"She's going to become a sailor senshi?" the girl with the ponytail was asking – her name was Makoto, she made herself remember. But Chibiusa knew her.

 _Sailor Jupiter._

She took in the other three faces – their identities suddenly obvious to her.

 _Venus._

 _Mercury._

 _Mars._

She couldn't breathe.

 _The ground dropped from underneath her, only to rush back up. She screamed._

 _Mars shoved her to the side, and Small Lady turned only to watch her guardian buried in the falling rubble that had been meant for her._

 _She screamed again, rushing forward, only for another pair of white gloved arms to grab her around the waist and pull her away. She never stopped screaming, reaching for the now pile of rubble where Sailor Mars had been seconds before._

 _Her mother lying unmoving on the ground, blood pooling beneath her. They stood in horror – no one was moving. Why wasn't Mercury fixing it?_

"Mama!"

An earsplitting screech pierced the air. It was her own voice, she realized distantly. Her throat was raw and angry, and still, she screamed.

A strong pair of arms, Mamoru's arms, enveloped her form. And she clung to him as if trying to meld into him. Usagi's hand ran comforting circles on her back, even as Mamo-chan rocked her back and forth.

"I'm right here," he whispered. "You're safe."

But the words did nothing to comfort her. Because Mars and Jupiter weren't safe. Her mama wasn't safe.

But her terrified cries gradually turned into soft sobs, and she let herself relax against his comforting form.

"Mamo-chan, are you alright?" Usagi whispered to him. "You looked like you were going to faint."

"I saw it," he admitted, his swaying never ceasing.

"Saw what?"

"Her home – it was destroyed."

Chibiusa's sobs renewed again. It would never be safe to go home if there wasn't a home to go back to. She would never see her mama and papa again.

* * *

After her meltdown, Chibiusa had eventually fallen asleep. She hadn't stirred at all when Mamoru had carried her back to his car, nor when he brought her up and settled her into his bed, carefully wrapping blankets around her, and tucking the Luna P doll against her form.

Convinced she would remain asleep, he moved back to his dining room table and sat next to his girlfriend, taking her hand – this time confident he wanted to comfort her more than himself. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm okay," she said softly, but her eyes remained on the uneaten bowl of rice in front of her.

He squeezed her hand. "Real okay?" he prompted, his eyes searching her face for the light that he often found pouring from her gaze.

She laughed, the smile bursting from her lips, and her crystal blue eyes finally rose to meet his own and he felt himself finally relax. "I'm just overwhelmed Mamo-chan. It's a lot. Aren't you the same?"

"Yes, completely," he admitted. "But I wanted to hear about you. I feel like I haven't gotten to see you all day."

She arched her eyebrows at him.

"I mean, I know we were together for the whole thing. I just… somehow, I still missed you," he explained. He was grateful for her presence, but he hadn't really been able to talk to her. He used to be so good at keeping everything bottled up inside, but over the last two years he hadn't needed to anymore. He was out of practice.

She kissed him. "I'm here right now."

He pulled her into his embrace. "I'm afraid."

"I think everyone is afraid of being a parent."

He shook his head. "I mean about us. It's going to be different now," he said out loud. "I'm not sure I want it to be. At least, not yet."

She kissed his nose. "We have a lot to figure out and I'm certain we don't even know what half of it is. But we still love each other. So, it will be beautiful."

He stared at her in awe, that she could remain so positive and certain in him, even after expressing her doubts earlier. "I love you," he told her for what had to be the millionth time.

"You've been saying that a lot lately."

"I just want you to know it. I think my life is about to get a lot busier."

"I understand. I love you too," she smiled, but then it quickly faded.

"What is it?"

"I'm… I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a mom."

He laughed.

"Why are you laughing at me?" she demanded, pulling away. He pulled her back.

"Usako," he reassured, "you will be brilliant as a mother. You already are. The way you were with her this morning – so patient, getting her to open up. At the meeting with the cookies."

"What are you talking about? She rejects every offer I have made. She clings to _you_."

"Usako, it's been a day. Be patient with her. Be patient with yourself."

"I just want her to like me," she whispered. "The way she already seems to like you."

"She will love you," he insisted.

"How can you be so sure?" Doubt once again colored her tone.

"Because everyone loves you," he told her, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

"That's not true."

He didn't bother to argue. She was wrong, but she wouldn't hear him. Instead he pulled her flush against his chest and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she asked, her face splitting with surprised glee.

"For being here today. For supporting me."

"Always, Mamo-chan."

"You should head home. Get some sleep."

"You're sending me away?"

"I have a final tomorrow. I need to study. And with you here," he kissed her neck, his hands hovering a millimeter above both of her shoulders, "I won't get anything done." His mouth traveled lower to her collarbone.

She sighed with contentment, relaxing in his embrace. "I feel like you're sending mixed signals."

He kissed her one more time on her lips, before pulling himself back. "You're right. I'm sorry. I really should get some studying in."

"Fine," she growled in irritation. "Be boring and responsible." She kissed him soundly. "I will see you tomorrow – right after school."

"I look forward to it," he smiled. "Good night, Usako."

"Good night, Mamo-chan," she called back just before she slipped through the door.

Luckily, working out solutions to the to a semester's worth of complex differential equations stole away all his concentration, distracting him from the emotional rollercoaster of the last thirty-six hours. It was a blissful release. It lasted a whole twenty minutes, before the sound of soft sobbing shattered his focus.

He approached the cracked open door urgently, eager to provide comfort if the girl would let him. The back and forth of an unexpected conversation froze him in place.

"Puu," the girl sobbed. "I want to see my mama!"

"I'm sorry, Small Lady," a dignified feminine voice responded. The voice was almost familiar. "She can't. And you can't either. It's not safe."

"I don't care!" the pink haired child snapped back.

"You know how to talk to her," the voice said calmly.

"I want her to talk back, though."

"I know you do, Sweetling. And she will someday. I promise you that she wants to this very instant. But she can't. She loves you, Small Lady. We all do. Don't you ever doubt it. I have to go, Sweetling. Be good for Mamoru-sama?"

Chibiusa clutched the glowing round Luna P doll to her face. "Puu, I miss you."

"I miss you too, Small Lady. Good night."

When the conversation faded, and Chibiusa went back to softly crying, having tossed the doll away, he walked in.

She jumped at his entrance, and furiously began wiping her tears away in an attempt to erase all evidence of her distress.

"Are you okay, Chibiusa?" he asked her softly, as he took a seat next to her.

"I'm fine," she insisted stubbornly.

He knew that she wasn't, and her caving in on herself disturbed him greatly. He also had no clue how to comfort or reach her.

"I have a gift for you," he said instead, reaching into his pocket.

"A gift?" she repeated excitedly, her eyes widening in surprise.

He chuckled at her sudden eagerness.

He handed her a pink wristband, with a circular face decorated with a moon. The girls had all agreed that she should have a way to contact them if she ever found herself in danger separated from her guardians, and so Luna had made her a unique communicator.

"This is…"

"A communicator!" she labeled it excitedly, thrusting her wrist out eagerly to accept the pretty bracelet. "I've always wanted one, but Venus said I had to wait until I was older! Am I old enough now then?"

"Exactly old enough," he smiled. "You open it like this," he indicated a release button, which she pressed, and the device flipped open revealing a single silver button below a crystal screen. "And if you ever get scared, you push that button, and we'll all come running, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you."

"You should try and get some more sleep," he said, bringing the blanket up from her waist.

"I'm not tired!" she objected, crossing her arms across her chest.

He smothered a laugh. "You're not? What's your secret? I am beat!"

She shrugged.

"Well, I'm going to lie down," he confided, as he slipped off his shoes and crawled into the bed beside her. "Perhaps you could keep me company until I fall asleep?"

She cuddled into his side almost immediately. He draped an arm around her and pulled her closer. It was only minutes before her eyes fell closed and her breathing slowed. He thought about trying to escape, but she looked so peaceful while dreaming. He hoped they were happy dreams free from the trauma and uncertainty of her young life.

He really could have used some more review, but he wasn't willing to risk disturbing her by untangling her from his side. He supposed he could be done studying for the night. If he didn't know it now, an extra few hours wouldn't make the biggest difference.

And he hadn't been lying. He was beyond exhausted. It didn't take long before he joined her in slumber.

* * *

If Demande were a lesser man, he would have been screaming his joy and triumph to the heavens. The first assault on the Crystal Palace had gone even better than anticipated. Soon his people – his clan – would have everything they had fought for, everything they had been denied and deserved.

He swirled the red wine in his crystal goblet in a single circle, before taking a measured sip of the glorious vintage. Really, Saphir had outdone himself.

"Status report," he ordered calmly, moments after his three most trusted advisors and brethren had taken their seats around a circular black crystalline table.

"We hold the entire city and have eliminated all but the smallest pockets of resistance," Rubeus reported, pinching a strand of crimson red hair off his black vest. "We should have the entire city occupied within three days. The palace itself, however, appears to be sealed off."

The prince turned his attention toward the only woman at his table. "Esmeraude, have your spies been able to pinpoint a cause or weakness of this shield?"

She smiled widely at his attention, her eyes sparkling with eagerness. Rubeus threw a smirk at her – always amused at her desperate attempts to gain the prince's attention. Demande did what he always did – he ignored both of them. Both advisors were fantastic at their jobs, and that was the reason they each still held a place at his table.

"Not as of yet sire," she explained, her smile remaining ever present. "However, we have made a significant breakthrough in the capture of two of the Sailor Senshi. We have Mars and Venus. The senshi of Mars will most likely not survive interrogation at this time, but Venus may become a wealth of information."

He nodded, impressed with the accomplishment. "You have my permission to begin, but be warned: she has mental protection and training. It will take much to break her. Tread with caution."

She bowed her head, luscious green locks falling from her shoulders. "It will be as you desire, Your Highness."

"And what of the royal family?" he asked her.

Saphir answered, ignoring Esmeraude's irritated scowl at his pulling attention away from her. "We have detected some unusual energy readings suggesting that the Silver Crystal was used, but seeing as the energy levels are low and as we are all still here, it is not being used as a weapon. Healing or protection is more likely."

"Could it be providing the protection around the palace?"

"I do not believe so, sire," his brother answered, shaking his head in thought. "The energy signatures do not seem to correlate in any fashion. My current hypothesis is that one or more of the royal family was significantly wounded in the attack, and the crystal is being used to sustain them. There could be one other explanation however."

"Go on." Demande gestured for him to continue, allowing himself to indulge in another sip of this fantastic blend.

"We've detected a major time distortion as well. It is possible that the crystal is being used to communicate through time."

"Or simply flee through it," Esmeraude scoffed scornfully.

Demande ignored her. "Interesting, so our prey may have fled through time. Do we know when?"

"No, Your Highness," Saphir responded regretfully.

"That is your new task," the prince ordered. "Find out who has gone and when they are. Our victory is meaningless if it can be undone with a simple act of time travel. Thank you. That will be all."

Each of his subordinates stood, bowed smartly, and made their exit.

Now alone, he swirled the glass of wine mindlessly, his thoughts filled with piercing, angry blue eyes that always invaded his waking dreams. He would bring them to heel.

She would give him everything his people deserved and his heart desired. He just had to be patient.

And Demande, as the ruler of a dead planetoid exiled into the cold, inhospitable regions of space, had become a master of patience.

* * *

A/N: You can continue to expect me to be slow. Life has decided to test my endurance. I think I'm surviving – maybe even enjoying some of the roller coaster. Time will tell!

Much love! Hope you enjoyed!

Reviews are love! I've been bad about responding to them lately because I'm overwhelmed with other things, but you probably have Pia Bartolini to thank for this chapter. Because she's been reviewing everything so much that I felt so loved and so inspired lately, that I just HAD to finish writing SOMETHING! So, that's what I mean when I say Reviews are Love! And the cool thing is often it spirals back around to you!


	4. Family

**A/N: Warning – This chapter contains a torture scene. It's not graphic, but it's there.**

 **Chapter 3: Family**

Small Lady glared at the small transparent prism Luna P had left for her on the table. She didn't want to record a message. She wanted to actually talk to her mama. She wanted her mama to say something _back_. But no matter how hard she screamed, sobbed, begged, or hit the floating companion, her only friend refused to budge. Instead the feline offered the recording device again and again.

She finally swept the crystalline device into her hand, and it glowed in response.

"Hi mama," Small Lady sobbed. "Puu said if I wanted to talk to you, that I had to leave you messages. I hope you get this soon and can send me something back."

The little girl paused, still fighting back tears. She had to be strong. She had to be good.

"Mamo-chan has adopted me. He is nice, but I want to see you! I miss you and papa! I want to come home, but Puu says I can't."

"When do I get to come home?" she broke off into tears, and threw the crystal back to the table, ending the recording. She ran from her room, abandoning the crystal, which was now glowing a faint pink. She knew that when she returned, Luna-P would have already collected the recording, not one to leave future tech just lying around. But there wouldn't be a response.

There was never a response.

…

Mamoru woke up in a panic after barely having slept a wink. For once in his life, he didn't have a plan.

Two weeks had seemed like an eternity when Chibiusa had first made her appearance, but the time had vanished like sand clutched in an iron fist. Today was the first day of term, but he had no childcare.

He had called a local nursery school, only to discover they had a six-month long waiting list. He certainly didn't have that kind of time. Then, in a moment of desperation, he had asked Ikuko. She had said no. That had stung, but he hadn't had time to dwell on it either. The girls were all in school themselves, so he hadn't bothered asking any of them. His neighbor had agreed to watch her for a few hours this morning, but then had cancelled the evening before when a relative had unexpectedly ended up in the hospital.

And it wasn't just the lack of childcare. He had only accomplished half of what he had set out to do to settle Chibiusa into his home. It turned out that when half your day was taken over by the routine of getting a little girl up, fed, and dressed, it took significantly more time than doing those same things for yourself, and it was hard to get much else accomplished. Especially when that little girl liked to sleep in, didn't want to try any of the unfamiliar foods he had to offer, and had oddly particular tastes in clothing.

At least, he had her room set up finally in his former guest room. They had spent a day furniture shopping, and he had spent _two more_ days constructing the bed, dresser, small desk, and a chest of toys that Chibiusa had shown almost no interest in. Usako had procured some sketchpads and colored pencils that now lay scattered across the small desk – due to his girlfriend's usage of them in her attempts to advertise their appeal – not Chibiusa's. Not yet anyway, but he had seen her eying the art supplies when she thought he wasn't looking.

The walls still looked rather bare, but it was a start. And yesterday, at Usako's suggestion, he had taken Chibiusa out to do something fun. They had made use of the public pool in his apartment complex, and he had to admit, the idea had been a good one because Chibiusa had taken to the water like a fish to the ocean. She demanded he count while she held her breath under the pool's waves - the current record was twelve seconds. She would shout, "Mamo-chan! Watch!" again and again before performing underwater somersaults and handstands. And she finally wore herself out racing him from one end of the pool to the other. He might have let her win the last round, so they could return home in good spirits. It was one of the few activities that seemed to draw out genuine smiles and an eagerness to show him all that she could do. He had been so relieved to see her enjoy something.

But at the time, he had been operating under the assumption that she would be taken care of for at least the next day by his neighbor. He couldn't blame her of course; family emergencies were apparently not something one could plan for.

Hence, his own current predicament.

He supposed he could take her with him. She seemed old enough to understand and follow directions. But he didn't think her presence in class would go over well with the professor, or Chibiusa either, for that matter.

He swept his hand through his black locks – unruly and out of place this morning.

The doorbell rang, and before he could even rise from the bed, he heard the front door swing open. He leapt to his feet and charged into the hallway, not realizing that Chibiusa was already up and more than capable of answering the door.

"Uhh… hi!" his best friend's familiar voice greeted with uncertainty. "Is… umm… Mamoru-kun home?"

Mamoru made it into the entryway only half-dressed. "Motoki-kun, I've been meaning to give you a call!" The truth was, he had been completely overwhelmed, and he missed being able to vent to his one non-senshi friend, but he was also nervous about how Motoki would react to this sudden change in his lifestyle.

His friend's bright eyes flashed eagerly towards the young girl, begging for an introduction.

"This is Chibiusa!" Mamoru said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it, hoping to reassure her. "I adopted her, and she's living with me now."

Motoki blinked a bit at that, but his expression never changed. "Hi, Chibiusa-chan!" he greeted brightly, bending down a little to be more at her height. "I am a friend of Mamoru-kun's. My name is Motoki. It is very nice to meet you."

The girl carefully curtsied. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance," she greeted formally.

Motoki raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The honor is mine, little princess."

Her head snapped, her garnet eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I'm _not_ a princess of _anything_!" she snapped at him.

"Chibiusa," Mamoru chastised, taken aback by her sudden hostility.

"Forgive me," Motoki jumped in meekly before Mamoru could continue. "I only meant that you are gracious enough to be mistaken for a princess."

She nodded, once again the definition of calm. "I accept your apology and your compliment, Motoki-san."

Mamoru watched the exchange in shock, surprised at both the formal behavior of his charge, though he'd seen glimpses of it before, and her willingness to engage with his friend.

"Chibiusa? Why don't you go play in your room for a minute while I make breakfast and talk to Motoki-kun?"

She nodded, and disappeared into the other room without comment.

"So, that explains a few things," Motoki commented, following Mamoru into the kitchen. "When you up and disappeared, I got worried."

"Sorry about that – things progressed unexpectedly quickly."

"Mamoru-kun, what are you doing adopting a child? I mean, I know that you're a complete and total softie; but this is objectively a terrible idea. Usually, you are the first to recognize that."

"I can handle school and her, and I have financial security to fall back on."

Motoki waved the justification away. "What about your _other_ responsibilities? Ones that involve a certain heroine or five? You are exposing this little girl to excessive danger because of who you are. And that's not fair to her."

Mamoru felt himself relax. He should have known better. Motoki had never shunned him after learning that he was an orphan, as so many others had, nor when he discovered Mamoru's alter ego. Motoki had always stood by him and always would. "She was entrusted into my care specifically _because_ of the extra protection I can offer."

"What?"

"She's hunted, Motoki-kun. I don't know by what yet, and honestly, I hope never to find out. But it's not a normal danger. Most would not have a chance at keeping her safe. It may be inconvenient in many ways, but there wasn't a choice here. She needs me and she needs the senshi."

Motoki blinked for a moment, clearly at a loss for words.

"How did Chibiusa-chan end up in Chiba Mamoru's care?" he finally asked, frowning in concern. "Did someone discover your identity?"

"Ah… no," Mamoru began, searching for words. "It's a long and complicated story that I don't have time to go into at the moment. The short version is that Chibiusa was left in my care by another senshi from the future."

Silence permeated the room once again.

"Your life is so strange," Motoki finally said. "Aren't you worried..."

"I won't turn her away," Mamoru interrupted.

"Of course you won't. I'm… Well, I don't have any superpowers, but… I have some experience with younger children. Let me know what you need."

Mamoru chuckled. "I don't suppose you're free this morning? Usako is going to babysit this afternoon, but I have a class this morning. I had a babysitter, but she cancelled. I thought I could just take her with me, but she'll be bored, and I don't really want to stretch my professor's patience on the first day."

Motoki laughed. "Yeah, that could be problematic. Do we have to stay here? To protect her?"

Mamoru remained silent, considering the question. He hadn't really thought about it, but the truth was he didn't want to lock her away from the rest of the world. As long as he and the others knew where to find her, it shouldn't be a problem. "Uh… no."

"Then yeah, I think I can help you out today."

Mamoru breathed a sigh of relief.

"And I can do this probably every now and again," Motoki continued. "But not full time."

"You are an absolute lifesaver! Where are you taking her?"

"We can start out at the park, and then to the Crown around eleven when my shift starts. I'll feed her lunch and give her some arcade money."

"That sounds perfect! Thank you!"

Motoki nodded in acknowledgment. "And Mamoru-kun, don't hesitate to call with new needs. I can't promise I can always say yes, but I won't be offended by the ask."

"I'll let you know if I ever figure out what it is we need," Mamoru promised.

…

Mamoru scribbled across his notebook, mechanically and automatically transcribing his professor's words. He processed not a word of it. He realized ten minutes into the lecture that he hadn't told Motoki anything about Chibiusa – not what she liked, that she was distrustful and standoffish, or that she was suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder and he hadn't yet learned what her triggers were. Really, he hadn't set up his friend for success at all. He hoped that Chibiusa wasn't giving him too hard of a time.

He set off some quick texts explaining that Chibiusa tended to remain detached, but that meltdowns were possible, before asking how things were going.

 _We're fine, dad. Just playing on some swings,_ Motoki replied quickly.

Mamoru froze at the paternal moniker. He initially assumed that Motoki meant it as teasing over his worrying. But it was true now, and that reality punched him into the gut every time it caught him unexpectedly. He supposed that was evidence that it just hadn't settled yet – like it didn't feel real. In the day to day, he could pretend he was just babysitting. But he wasn't. Chibiusa was his responsibility.

His head spun.

 _You'd better be paying attention in class!_

Mamoru stifled a self-deprecating laugh at the text, barely glancing at the slides projected at the front of the classroom. He had stopped taking notes without realizing it five minutes prior. There was no chance in hell of his absorbing anything today. If it hadn't been the first day of term, he probably would have skipped.

But he had two more classes to attend. He had to show up, if only to secure his enrollment in each course, and receive the syllabi, so he'd know what the most important dates to attend were.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon trudged on at a snail's pace. Mamoru found himself immensely more invested in the string of Motoki's text updates than anything going on in his classes. Only years of practiced academic discipline kept his hand filling his notebook pages with mindless notes.

 _Just dropped Chibi back at your place with Usagi-chan. See you later._

And with that message, his struggle for focus increased tenfold. Mamoru couldn't wait to get home. Sitting through his last class served as an exercise in self-control, where his mind kept flitting to other needs that felt more pressing. What was he going to do for dinner? What was he going to do with Chibiusa tomorrow? Was she having an okay time with Usako or had she locked herself into the closet again? He kept trying to drag his attention back to the lesson, but it proved impossible. Was this what class felt like for Usako every day? No wonder his girlfriend hated school.

Once the class concluded, he bolted out of the lecture hall like a gazelle fleeing a stampede and made his way home.

He swung the door open, expecting to be bombarded by two girls, but only silence greeted him. His pulse spiked, his apartment way too quiet to be harboring his girlfriend and an almost five-year-old child. He silently wandered from the living room to the kitchen before making his way to Chibiusa's room. The two girls lay on their tummies on the floor, sketchbooks laid out before them, two small plates of cookies between them.

His breath caught in his throat, and tears threatened to fall down his face at the sight before him.

He had a family.

An actual real life _family_.

Suddenly, the idea of being responsible for a whole new person wasn't quite so terrifying. Not when he got to come home to scenes like this.

He leaned against the doorframe casually, watching the two girls draw. Chibiusa took the last cookie from the plate nearest Usagi. A few seconds later, Usagi reached idly for another cookie, only to find her empty plate. She stared at the plate for a second, then turned to the girl at her side.

"Did you steal my cookie?!" Usagi accused with mock indignation. "What was wrong with _your_ cookies?"

Chibiusa turned innocent eyes towards the older girl, the effect spoiled by her puffed up cheeks that clearly held the aforementioned treat.

Mamoru couldn't help the delighted chuckle that burst from his belly, even as he wiped his eyes, erasing the evidence of how moved he was at the domestic scene.

"Mamo-chan!" Chibiusa greeted excitedly, jumping to her feet as she thrust her picture toward him. "Look at my drawing!"

"Oh sure, _now_ you speak," Usagi observed drolly, bouncing to her feet with her own sketchpad.

He was presented with both pictures.

"Which do you like better?" Usagi asked him with a wink. He made a show of looking over them. Usagi's featured a series of colorful chibi characters with doodles of cats and moons on the side. Chibiusa had drawn a short stick figure with two taller figures on either side of her holding the smaller child's hands.

"Is this you?" he asked, pointing to the central stick figure with pink hair.

She nodded, and then pointed to the other two. "And that's mama and papa!"

"I like the dresses on the girls. You've picked out some very pretty colors," he complimented.

Chibiusa laughed, and shot a superior grin towards Usagi, clearly pleased that she had Mamoru's favor.

Usagi shot him a pout that was completely spoiled by another wink. "We'll see what he thinks next time!" Usagi challenged.

Chibiusa tumbled back to the floor with a smile, and eagerly started a new drawing on a fresh page.

Mamoru shared a doting smile with his girlfriend. "I'm going to borrow Usako for a moment, Chibiusa. Are you okay in here?"

As soon as the girl nodded, he gently tugged Usagi by the wrist into the hallway.

Before the door had even closed, he seized her lips with his own, lost his fingers in her hair, and let their breaths mingle.

"I missed you so much today," he mumbled millimeters away, before kissing her again.

She giggled at his attentions. "I missed you too," she said when he finally pulled away long enough for her to breathe.

"How did today go?" he asked.

"Motoki-kun said she was delightful and well-behaved with a razor-sharp tongue when she did choose to speak. He said she reminded him of you. But he might be wrong on that because she especially seemed to enjoy the time at the arcade. He gave her a bit of arcade money and gave her lunch with a strawberry shake for dessert. He brought her back here just as I got here. We made up a snack from your secret drawer of sweets, and have been drawing and munching. She didn't eat much at the arcade, but she's willing to steal the cookies. She's been very quiet until you got home, but she hasn't had any meltdowns either."

He felt the tension release at the report. He could do this. He _was_ doing this. Now, he just had to figure out tomorrow.

The doorbell interrupted his worried thoughts, and Usagi quickly moved to open the door. "That would be the girls!"

"The girls?" he repeated in confusion, but she was already gone. A few seconds later, the sounds of excited teenaged girls greeting his girlfriend echoed through his apartment.

Chibiusa poked her head out of her room, obviously having heard their guests. Mamoru offered her his hand. "Shall we see who's here?"

Minako and Rei were hanging streamers over every doorway and a banner that said, "Welcome Chibiusa!" in bold colorful kanji already took up half of the living room wall. Makoto was already making herself comfortable in the kitchen clanging pots and pans before raiding his pantry for common ingredients, and Ami arranged an assortment of presents on the table.

"What's going on?" he asked, though it was clear they were setting up for a party.

"We wanted to throw you a 'baby shower' of sorts, though of course, Chibiusa is not a baby, are you, sweetheart?" Minako smiled, leaning down and placing a pink paper coned-shaped party hat on the girl's head.

Chibiusa shook her head in agreement, her mouth pursed in a small smile.

"You, however," she stood facing him, "are definitely a new parent! And that means you get a party!"

"I'm not certain this is the best time," Mamoru objected. His top priority right now needed to be to find childcare, and while he appreciated this gesture, he wasn't going to be able to think about anything else until his responsibilities were taken care of.

Minako placed another party hat on his head, stretched the elastic band under his chin, let it go with a stinging snap, and patted his shoulder in mock sympathy before continuing to adorn each of his uninvited guests with festive hats.

"It's always a good time for presents, Mamo-chan," Usako whispered in his ear, her hand slipping into his own. "Trust me."

He sighed in resignation. This was not a battle he was going to win. When the girls wanted to throw a party, there was going to be a party.

"Will you hold this for me, Chibiusa-chan?" Ami asked, holding out a plastic tape dispenser. The young girl pulled away from his side, and stood next to the bluenette, handing her a piece of tape whenever she asked.

Perhaps this was not a battle he wanted to win.

He might regret this come tomorrow morning, but for right now, he would accept this celebration with grace. He moved into the kitchen to offer his services to Makoto. She set him to work slicing up a variety of fruit.

Thirty minutes later, his normally spartan living room had been transformed. Bright streamers of every color of the rainbow adorned his walls and doorways. Paper lanterns hung from his ceiling, while brightly colored loose balloons littered the floor. One side of his coffee table was piled high with cookies, dumplings, fruit, and candies, while the other half housed a small mountain of neatly wrapped gifts.

Ami and Minako were trying to engage Chibiusa in a game of keep-the-balloon-from-touching-the-floor, but so far, she just watched their silly over dramatic movements to shoot the balloon back towards the ceiling at the last possible moment.

"Who's ready for presents?" Usagi asked, her face lit up in a friendly smile.

A chorus of ascent rang out from the girls. Even Chibiusa lit up before immediately schooling her expression. The reaction reminded him of his first few weeks at the orphanage, when he had lost everything and was afraid to let anyone or anything get close to him, less he lose that too.

They gathered in a circle on the floor besides the small mountain of presents. Usagi selected the largest gift wrapped in pink and white paper and made a show of reading the tag.

"Oh look! This one is for you, Chibiusa-chan! From Minako-chan!"

Chibiusa took the present with a dignified nod beyond her years. Mamoru covered his amused grin with a hand. She didn't tear through the gift with excitement. Instead, she was careful to pull up each piece of tape individually as if she was trying to preserve the wrapping paper. Her unconventional technique eventually revealed a row of dolls - one of each of the Sailor Senshi.

Chibiusa's attention focused on each doll as she traced a finger across the clear protective plastic, her own face carefully blank. She stared at it in silence.

"Chibiusa?" Mamoru prompted. "Are you okay?"

"Yes! I'm fine," she said quickly, placing the present to her side. "Thank you Ve-Minako-chan," the girl said with another measured nod.

"You're more than welcome, Chibiusa-chan. I hope you like it!"

She opened another four gifts filled with magnetic blocks, Play-doh, and some coloring books. She responded to each with smiles and thank yous, and moved eagerly to open each package so she could start playing with them now. She ignored the series of dolls and when she walked past them, a seemingly random stumble sent the senshi plushies sliding under the coffee table out of sight.

Ami built towers out of the newly freed magnetic blocks as Chibiusa copied her design choices to create a twin tower next to it.

He moved to retrieve the hidden gift set, but before he had done more than lean forward, Makoto put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Wait. That was intentional," she whispered urgently. "Leave them for now. Don't force them on her."

He searched her swirling green eyes, her grip tightening with each passing second. Makoto was an orphan too. She must have related to something in Chibiusa's behavior. He finally nodded in acknowledgement and she released him immediately, and moved Ami's side, gushing at the growing block structures.

Usagi handed him a box wrapped in deep blue and a white ribbon.

"You didn't have to get me anything," he said, as he opened the package from one end, following Chibiusa's careful example to keep the pretty blue paper intact until he caught Usagi's eye-roll. Then he made a show of tearing through the rest with flair. The girls smiled in amusement at his sudden change in behavior. "The gifts for Chibiusa would have been more than enough."

The girls all laughed.

"Have you never been to a baby shower, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked. "The whole _point_ is to support the new parents!"

"When would I have ever had the opportunity to go to a baby shower?" he muttered, pulling out three books from a shoebox.

Three _parenting_ books, and suddenly he understood why this tradition was useful because he had no clue what he was doing or what he needed.

"There are hundreds of parenting books out there, but most of them are based on pop psychology or one doctor or psychologist's anecdotal experiences," Ami explained, having run out of building pieces. "Those three were the ones I could find that are actually research-based. Like lit reviews for the layperson."

He placed the three paperback volumes reverently on the floor beside him. "Thank you, Ami-chan. I'm sure you found the best information out there."

Already feeling overwhelmed, he took the next present handed to him. Makoto had put together a binder of easy and healthy kid-friendly recipes. Minako provided an extra comforter along with wall hangings for a little girl's room. And Rei had done research on all the local nursery schools.

"There's actually a lot of options in your area," she told him. "It's more a matter of getting through the waiting lists. You need to be careful to avoid the unlicensed schools. Sometimes, you can get into those faster, but there have been many scandals in several of them in recent years, so it's probably not worth it. So, Grandpa wanted me to let you know that Chibiusa is always welcome at the shrine."

He felt so humbled by their support it took him a moment to find any words. "You didn't have to do this."

"Of course we did," Ami interjected.

"It's not like you were going to _ask_ for help," Rei added drolly. Minako nodded in complete agreement.

"Thank you," he said softly. It didn't feel like enough.

…

"What's wrong, Esmeraude?" her adversary mocked. "Did Demande find your brutish attempts at flirting even more abhorrent than normal?"

Esmeraude fluttered her blood-red feathered fan impassively in front of her face, now accustomed to the neverending taunts and insults from the blonde senshi tied to the steel chair at the center of the small barren room. Esmeraude had spent years working, manipulating, back-stabbing, sacrificing, and occasionally sleeping her way into the prince's inner circle. She had become a master of illusion and subterfuge - her job was to bring intelligence to the crown. And she was good at her job to the point where Demande gave her command of the clandestine aspects of his military and dubbed her Overlord of Agents. She had only one step further to go to achieve her ambitions and this obstinate and aggravating woman stood in her way.

Esmeraude stepped forward, the sharp click of her heels echoing through the interrogation room. She channeled dark energy from the elaborate black crystal hanging from the ceiling like a misplaced chandelier through her defiant captive. The woman's body thrashed and arced angles even as she screamed. The spymaster watched the procedure without emotion.

Esmeraude cut the flow and the Venusian warrior fell limp. She didn't want her prisoner to black out from the pain after all. She wouldn't be able to get anything from the senshi then.

"Is that the best you've got?" the blonde taunted. Her cheeks were hollow, and her body loose like a rag doll, but her blue eyes held a fire that refused to die. "You really think that after weeks of this, that _this_ will break me?"

Esmeraude swirled a strand of lime green hair between her fingers as she considered her opponent. Obviously, the procedure was excruciatingly painful for the senshi. Yet, it had so far been unable to bend Venus to their will. Wiseman insisted that it would eventually work, but Esmeraude had her doubts.

She couldn't decide if the leader of the senshi was somehow immune to the dark energy's attempt to corrupt her, or if the other woman had centuries of mental training to resist torture and manipulation.

"For someone with the title of Overlord of Agents, you don't seem to have any help! Does his highness not value your work enough to give you resources?"

Esmeraude laughed as she sent another blast of energy through her prisoner. Venus really did have a rather piercing scream.

"It's amazing that Demande tolerates you at all with a laugh like that. You ever heard of the phrase like teeth on a slate?! It's like that! Only more unpleasant. It's no wonder he never spends more than a minute longer in your presence than he has to. Like the point where the opera singer hits that shrill note that breaks every glass in the room? That's what you sound like."

Esmeraude interrupted the insulting rant with another dark energy blast, hiding her gritted teeth behind her fan. She would not let Venus get to her today.

"It's that point where everyone covers their ears and runs from the room. Though it might not be because of your shrill voice. From that dress, it's clear you're trying too hard. Even Demande recognizes your poor taste."

"You talk big," Esmeraude observed coldly. "And yet…" she gestured towards the tiny room. "It gets you nowhere. You're still here and at my mercy."

Venus twisted in her seat and offered her captor a rare grin. "Who says I'm trying to go anywhere? Watching you fail again and again is highly entertaining!"

Esmeraude increased the intensity on the black crystal, and took immense satisfaction when Venus' screams jumped an octave as she writhed in her seat.

She cut it off abruptly just before the woman would have blacked out. Venus wilted, panting hard, trying to recover her breath.

"What? No more insults?"

The blonde slowly lifted her head, and offered a small smirk.

"Does it bother you that even _your_ prince loves _my_ queen, more than he does you?"

Esmeraude back-handed the infuriating captive, her rings slicing open the soft, vulnerable skin.

The Venutian warrior laughed even as she spit out a mouthful of blood.

"You're even worse at this than usual. "Are you having a bad day?" Venus asked in a sing-song voice.

Esmeraude stormed out of the interrogation chamber, leaving Venus tied to the chair. The spymaster somehow managed to wait until she had escaped before she screamed in frustration. She couldn't do this today. Today, Venus was under her skin more than the other way around. Because the leader of the senshi had her pegged.

Demande had spent hours staring at the hologram of Neo Queen Serenity. She would not have worried if his ego simply needed to assert his dominance through physical conquest. But he had been pouring over her eyes like a man in love, not her bosom or ass like a man objectifying a woman. Even Rubeus had expressed concern. It would not do to have their prince in love with an enemy leader. Especially since she would never be queen.

She blasted open the door to her office, taking a bit of satisfaction at the display of temper, though sadly no one was there to witness it . She slid into her chair and straightened out the ruffled feathers in her fan.

She was losing confidence that she would ever be able to break Venus. No matter what they tried, they got nowhere with the golden senshi. She withstood physical torture; she was not manipulated by hypnosis or Wiseman's mental coercion. Esmeraude had taken to torturing random civilians in the warrior's presence, and even wove in mirages of the woman's comrades. That was the closest they had come to cracking her. But as much as she cried and screamed, or spit curses and threats at her captors, she still divulged nothing.

She slammed a fist onto the table. She had been so confident in the beginning. Venus had been the key - a chance for Esmeraude to prove herself in the eyes of her prince. But now, that goal felt further away than ever.

She forced herself to pull up the most recent intelligence reports on the crystalline tablet that lay flat on her desk. She needed a new approach. Perhaps focusing on something else would help her find inspiration.

She paused on the status update on Sailor Mars. The lady in red was apparently in and out of consciousness - still evaluated as too fragile for any physical interrogation, but perhaps Esmeraude didn't need to lay a finger on her...

After all, the highest ranking member of Demande's court, besides his own brother, was a master of subterfuge. And while she hadn't yet broken the guardian of Venus, she had a sense of the ancient woman's humor, mannerisms, what was important to her, and what was not.

The glamour was simple enough magic - she didn't even need Wiseman's guidance. She took some accessories they'd taken from her first prisoner upon her capture. She didn't notify any of her security of what she planned. They would act more authentically if they thought she was actually Venus, and she could always reveal herself if necessary.

She slipped into the medical ward, undetected. Sailor Mars lay on a flat pallet - unconscious with monitors displaying her vitals. A simple injection caused her to stir. Esmeraude, still disguised as Venus, pulled the other girl to a sitting position before wrapping an arm around her shoulders to support the wounded senshi.

"Come on, Mars," Esmeraude whispered. "I'm going to get you out of here, but I need you to wake up."

"V-Venus?" the raven-haired senshi questioned. "How? How d-did you get here?"

"Shhh..." the imposter soothed. "I'll explain later. We have to get out of here first."

"Did Jupiter get Small Lady out?" Mars asked.

"Yes, Small Lady is safe."

"And Usagi?"

Rabbit?

"I don't know."

Mars suddenly struggled away from her hold, and she turned ice cold eyes toward her rescuer. "You rescued me before determining if the queen is safe?!"

Esmeraude internally celebrated. She had uncovered her majesty's code name.

"I was captured too, Mars. I heard you were here. The guards were talking. I had the opportunity to get you out. I wouldn't leave you."

"You should've left me," the other woman objected harshly. "I'll only slow you down in my condition."

Esmeraude thought back to her interrogations. Venus would definitely sacrifice anyone, including the other senshi, to see her queen safe. This was another opportunity.

"I'll reevaluate if you're unable to keep up," she promised.

Mars nodded, and finally slumped allowing Esmeraude to support her weight.

"If I have to leave you behind, I need you to tell me everything you know about the attack."

…

A/N: I haven't been getting a lot of sleep, (my new daughter has hit the four-month sleep regression a little early I think), and so I MUST give an even larger shout out to TinaCentury! You would not believe how many dumb mistakes she caught this time around! One whole paragraph was just missing! Anyway, if my fatigue isn't obvious, it's because of her insight and help!

Mamoru's experience in this chapter is totally me projecting! Both in being overwhelmed with everything AND feeling humbled by others who give so much support. Seriously, the first place I called when trying to find infant childcare (childcare for older children isn't AS hard to get), they told me they wouldn't have a space for a baby until October 2020! That's crazy! You have to get on that waiting list before you're pregnant! I have since gotten really lucky and am joining a nanny share that kind've fell from the sky with two other babies this September!

"NutureShock" by Ashley Merryman and Po Bronson. Go read it! It's not exactly a parenting book. It's more about child development, but it's a book I wish every parent, educator, and teenager would read. It is a lit review for the lay person though the authors add a ton of anecdotes for every study they describe to make it accessible. It talks about a ton of topics from how to effectively praise, why children lie (we teach them to), how kids learn language, etc. It's good stuff! I also highly recommend "Baby Makes Three" by John Gottman, which is more about the quality of you marriage from THE expert on marriage (He can predict with 98% accuracy if you'll still be married in ten years, and most of his research now revolves around training those that are not going to make it, in how to argue so that they do). And if you want to splurge on a third, "Brain Rules For Baby" by John Medina is another great one based on research and not anecdotal experience.

I had fun playing with a fantasy "rank" generator, and may have come up with ridiculous over the top titles for Safir, Rubeus, and Esmeraude! I didn't think anyone in the actual Black Moon Clan would find them over the top though. I actually, very purposely left Esmeraude's as Overlord (of Agents), rather than trying to find something more feminine. (I did consider Countess of Poison). She clawed her was to the top! She's not about to take a softer title! No friggin' way!

Thank you to everyone who commented! Your kind words keep me opening up this document even when life has me navigating rapids most of the time.

Reviews are love!


End file.
